title: Comparison of different progestagen assays for measuring progesterone metabolites in faeces of the bitch.
abstract: From 12 bitches of various breeds with fertile oestrus cycles faecal samples were collected daily from the onset of pro-oestrus till 20 days after the start of vulval bleeding, then once per week till about 1 week before term. Immunoreactive progesterone metabolites were extracted from the samples using methanol and measured using immunoassays. In a first experiment four different assays were compared in regard to the amounts of immunoreactive substances measured: the enzyme immunoassay against 20-oxo-3-hydroxypregnanes showed twice to four times higher values of immunoreactive material than another using an antibody against 6 beta-hydroxyprogesterone. An enzyme immunoassay for pregnanediol measured only low concentrations of immunoreactive material. Also a radio immunoassay using an antibody against 11 beta-hydroxyprogesterone detected only small amounts of reacting material. High performance liquid chromatography showed that in faeces of bitches the immunoreactive progesterone metabolites were present in unconjugated form, mainly as 3 alpha/beta hydroxylated progestagens with a 20-oxo group. In the second experiment the samples were measured with the assay system using the 20-oxo-3-hydroxypregnane antibody. A few days before mating the concentration of progesterone metabolites increased, reaching 5.77 mumol/kg faeces (median) at the day of mating. High levels (10.45 mumol/kg faeces) were measured till the end of the first month after mating. Thereafter, the concentrations decreased, reaching 2.68 mumol/kg (median) at the end of the second month.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biochemie, Ludwig Boltzmann-Institut für Veterinärmedizinische Endokrinologie, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Austria.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Möstl
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brunner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000662:veterinary; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004285:Dogs / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000662:veterinary; D011374:Progesterone / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011372:Progestins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D011372:Progestins; D011374:Progesterone